Box Score
WAYNE, N.J. – No. 22 William Paterson (13-5-3) fought back from a 3-1 deficit in the ECAC Men’s Soccer Metro Region Tournament semifinals Nov. 16 against Farmingdale State (13-7-2) to force overtime, and later won the penalty kick shootout session 4-2 to advance to the tournament final.
The top-seeded Pioneers will host third-seeded Rutgers-Newark in the ECAC championship match Monday, Nov. 17, at 7:00 p.m. at Pioneer Soccer Park.
Trailing 3-1 just 1:34 into the second half, William Paterson rallied during the final 20 minutes of regulation, scoring twice to force the extra time. Sophomore
Steve DeMatteo (Piscataway, N.J./St. Joseph’s-Metuchen) played a bouncing ball to the right side of the box and junior
Helder Andrade (Ocean Twp., N.J./Ocean Twp.) finished for his fifth goal of the year and a 3-2 score in the 71st minute. A flurry of shots and saves in the 80th minute allowed sophomore
Joe Strawman (Ringoes, N.J./Hunterdon Central Regional) to get on the end of a loose ball and punch it in, deadlocking the contest at 3-3 with 10:24 to play.
Neither team generated a quality scoring chance during the first extra session, but each side had opportunities during the second overtime. The best shot came from Farmingdale’s Marcos Cipra with 4:00 remaining, but it went just wide of the left post.
William Paterson’s
Julian Valerio (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) had the first PK of the shootout, and he punched his shot into the upper-left side of the goal. Farmingdale senior Thomas Mueller tucked his shot inside the left post, making it 1-1. Ram junior goalkeeper Patrick Gubbins stopped
Chris Belan’s (Howell, N.J./Freehold Twp.) shot, and Mathew Arthurs was successful on his attempt, giving Farmingdale State a 2-1 edge after the second round. Junior
Jonathan Donado (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) evened the session with his shot to the lower-right, and it remained 2-2 when Joe Catanzarite missed wide left.
Ryan Miller (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) gave William Paterson a 3-2 lead with his successful effort to the upper-left corner, and WP junior goalkeeper
Dan Peragallo (North Brunswick, N.J./North Brunswick) made a huge save to his left to maintain the one-goal lead after four rounds. Sophomore
Matthew Heitmann (Westwood, N.J./St. Joseph Regional) then finished it off for the Pioneers, converting on the ground to the middle of the frame.
William Paterson had the early lead after DeMatteo knocked in a ball played to the far post following a broken corner play. The goal, assisted by Strawman and Valerio, gave the Pioneers the early 1-0 advantage in the 26th minute.
Fourth-seeded Farmingdale State answered six minutes later, when Ryan Paul scored his 21st goal of the season, finishing an Arthurs cross from the left side of the box. The Rams then took the lead at 2-1 in the 36th minute as Ryan Standridge finished his own rebound in the box.
Paul crossed a ball to Frank Volante on the right side of the 18, and Volante’s shot went past a diving Peragallo and into the back of the net for a 3-1 edge in the 47th minute. Gubbins made several key plays to keep the Pioneers off the scoreboard, as did Arthurs, who saved balls off the goal line during the 54th and 77th minutes.